Panel and panel cover, especially for railway cars



1N V EN TOR Nllclfzclel Waffel.

ATTORNEY M. WATTER PANEL. AND PANEL COVER, ESPECIALLY FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed NOV. l. 1948 Dec. 9, 1952 Patented Dec. 9, 1.952

UNITED STATES `PASTENT OFFI'CE PANEL AND vPANEL COVER, ESPECIALLY Fon .RAILWAY cans Michael WatterPhiladelphia, Pa., assigner '5to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 1, 1948, SerialNo. 57,683

(Cl. AE-401) '8 Claims. l

The invention relates to panels of .sheet material and also to cover or trim sheathing therefor. More particularly, the invention relates to 'a shear panel structurally secured to the outside 'of pofst's or other transverse frame members of lrailway 'car and similar vehicle bodies.

An object of 'the invention is a panel 'which combines strength and stiffness with light weight. Another object of the invention is alpanel which, Aif used without iiuted cover or trim sheathing, gives to a marked degree an appearance similar to that of a panel provided with such sheathing. Further objects of the invention are simple and economical manufacture of vpanel and trim sheathing, simplicity of securementof the trim sheathing to the panel, 'and reduction of the number of parts as compared with similar'known structures.

lWith these and other .obj ects in View, the invention contemplates a shape of the nodes or corrugations on the panel and a mating formation of cover sheathing such that the latter is removably held along its margins by the sides of the nodes or corrugations.

The above briey outlined 'and further objects, advantages and features of theinvention will be found in the following description of several embodiments illustrated in the attacheddra'wing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 Ais va fragmentary perspective 'side elevation, partially in Ytransverse section, ofv the lower .portion of side wall and 'adjoining underframe side sill of a sheet metal railway car;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section, on alarger scale, along line 2-2 of Figure 1; 'and Figures 3, 4 and 5 are 'fragmentary sections similar to Figure '2 'but each illustrating a 'different embodiment.v

The railway car body shown 'fragmentaril'y 'in Figures 1 and 2 comp-rises a pluralityof longitudinally spaced upright posts ID, one vbeing'shown in'Figures 1 and 2 and another bei-ng Visible 'in Figure 2. The posts have vtheir lower ,ends 'interconnected by a bottom sill 'or chord comprising a Z-section 4II and a gusset plate I2; Theouter arms of section Il and'plate I'Z'areioverlappingly secured to each other vand'to the web 'of 'underframe side'sill I3. In the region of windev/openings rIll (only one opening is shown fragmentari'ly Vin the drawings), the posts are interconinected by La structural deadlight panel "ISandwindow sill mernbs-:frs I6. The construction Ydescribed so far isknown.

Asnear parmi n ,and a vloe1ti1al l' .Strutllmuy interconnect :posts I-,"gusset plate `Iilfdead light lon channel sections 33.

2 panel I5, and window sill members It. Shear panel I'I has longitudinally extending nodes or corrugations I9. The individual width of the nodes is several times Asmaller than the space between successive nodes. Each node I9 has a top wall 20 and side walls 2l forming together an inwardly facing channel section. Top walls 2&1 are profiled to give the appearance of narrow trim or molding strips. The side walls 2| of each node converge inwardly toward each other so as to present undercut surfaces adapted to -retain removable cover plates or strips 22.

Each elongated cover plate 22 is in the form Yof a narrow long channel with a concave, fiuted or otherwise transversely arched web v23 and marginal flanges 2d. The-edges of the flanges 24 Aare curled in at 25. v or cover sheathing for the shear panel II.

Plates 22 consist of resilient material, such as thin cold rolled austenitic stainless sheet steel. The thickness may be 0,02". Their width 26 and the angles -between their flanges '24 and -their webs 23 are such that each plate can be sprung into place between the side walls 2 I of successive -nodes I9 and will be held in place by the resiliency of the plate as well as by the engagement of the flanges '24 with the side -wal-ls -2I. The width of the flanges 24 is such that -the curled in edges 25 nest in the angle between the Vside Walls 24 and thev adjoining main portions. of panel Il.

The uppermost node 2'! is formed as part ofthe belt rail 1B. The lowermost 'node 'i9 serves for retaining the upper flange of rub rail 28. The lower flange `of rub rail 28, together with the vupper margin of skirt molding 29, is-secured to sill I3 by blind rivets 30, screwsfor the like, and .the lower margin of skirt molding 219 isiwelded .to the inwardly directed lower ange of rail I3.V This securement of 'belt rail and the vsec'urement -'ofthe rub rail `form part .of the subject matter of the application of Albert G. Dean, Serial No. 537,796, filed simultaneously herewith, for Marginal Rail. for Cover Strip lRetaining Panels, Especially for Railway Car.

In the construction illustrated 'in Figure v3, the shear panel Y3| consists'of a plate 32 and welded- Tlie cross lsection of the channel sections 33 is substantially the same as that ofthe nodes 'I9 in the iirst embodiment. Flanges 34 on node membersA serve for the attachment to panel 3-I. `VThe node members 33v together with the panel 3| form closed box sections thereby increasing the stiffness 'and strength ofthe panel as compared with the-con.- structi-on of Figures 1 and '2. The cover 4plates Plates 22 form together a triml S are also substantially identical with the cover plates 22 illustrated in Figure 2 except that the edges of the flanges or arms 36 are continued by narrow iianges 31 directed toward each other and engaging the flanges 34 of node members 33.

In Figure 4, the shear panel consists, as in Figure 3, of a flat plate 38 and welded-on flanged channel sections 39 forming the nodes. The top Wall of the nodes 39 is convex. The cover plates 40 have narrow anges 4I along their edges, which extend at an angle to the flanges of the channel sections or nodes 39 for holding the plates 40 at the proper distance from the panel 38.

Figure differs from the preceding embodiments in that the side Walls 42 of the nodes 43 have convex or shallow V-section and that the flanges 44 of the cover plates 45 are correspondingly shaped so as to nest in the hollows of walls 42. As in Figures 3 and 4, the nodes 43 are formed on separately made sections welded to a flat plate 46.

The nodes perform several functions. In the iirst place, they increase the strength and stiffness of the shear panel; in the second place, they form means for the attachment of the cover plates; and in the third place, they give a vehicle an appearance when run without cover strips which is to a considerable extent similar to the appearance of cars provided with the fluted sheathing.

The shear panel, whether the nodes are formed on it per Figures l or 2, or constituted by separately formed welded-on members per Figures 3, 4 and 5, can be easily and economically manufactured. The cover plates also are easy and economical to manufacture. They can easily be installed or removed and can easily be replaced in -case of damage to one or several of them without 4requiring removal of adjoining strips which were :not damaged.

The longitudinal members shown in the drawing extend over a large part of or over the entire vehicle length. The parts of the body which are not illustrated may be of any known construction.

The invention is susceptible to further modifications. For instance, it will be understood that the different illustrated shapes of the cover plates as well as the different shapes of the walls of the nodes may be employed for shear panels provided with separately manufactured nodes per Figures 3, 4 and 5 aswell as for corrugated panels per Figures 1 and 2. It should, therefore, be understood that such and other modications may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway car or similar vehicle body: a plurality of longitudinally spaced structural members, such as upright side wall posts, extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the body; a longitudinally extending sheet metal shear panel structurally interconnecting said members; a plurality of sheet metal nodes provided on and integral with said panel and projecting beyond the outer surface thereof, said nodes reinforcing said panel; said nodes extending longitudinally and being arranged parallel to and with spacing between each other; said nodes being of channel section with a top wall spaced from the panel and with side walls, these side walls having outer portions projecting laterally beyond portions nearer to the surface of the panel; said projecting outer portions constituting Vretaining means for outer trim sheathing.

2. In a body for railway cars and similar vehicles, comprising longitudinally spaced vertical posts separated in the upper regions by window openings and interconnected below the window openings on the outside by a shear panel, the combination with a plurality of longitudinallyextending vertically-spaced channel sections, the open sides of said channel sections facing said shear panel, lateral flanges on said channel seotions being overlappingly secured throughout their length to said shear panel, said channel sections and panel forming closed box-sectional reinforcements, said channel sections having side walls which at least over part of their Vwidth converge toward each other from the outside toward the shear panel, the side walls of each two successive channel sections forming a dovetail section adapted for removably retaining a trim panel having its margins shaped matingly to said side walls.

3. In a body for railway cars or other vehicles, a wall provided with nodes extending parallel to and being transversely spaced from each other, undercut side wa-ll portions on said nodes, a resilient cover strip of sheet material having flanges along opposite margins shaped to fit into said undercut portions, the width of the cover strip being greater than the space between successive nodes so as to permit the cover strip to be sprung into place to be held resiliently between the side walls of successive nodes and to engage with its flanges the undercut portions of the side walls to be retained by them.

4. In a body for railway cars or other vehicles, a wall provided with nodes extending parallel to and being transversely spaced from each other, shallow channel-section side walls on said nodes, the open sides of the channel sections facing toward the adjacent nodes, resilient cover strips of sheet material having anges along opposite margins shaped matingly tosaid side walls interconnected by a web, the resiliency of said cover strips being such as to permit transverse bending of said webs, the width of each cover strip being, prior to its attachment to said nodes, slightly greater than the space between successive nodes so as to permit the cover strip to be sprung into place and to be held by resilient engagement of its flanges and said side walls.

5. In a body for railway cars or other vehicles, a wall provided with nodes extending parallel to and being transversely spaced from each other, resilient cover strips of sheet material having flanges along opposite margins interconnected by a web, the resiliency of said cover strips being such as to permit transverse bending of said webs, the width of the cover strips being such as to permit their insertion by transversely bending them between successive nodes, the sides of said nodes and the margins of said strips being provided with mutually engaging portions so that the strips are held in place by said nodes; the tops of said nodes constitutingtrim moldings filling the space between successive cover strips.

6. A sheathing memberv for railway cars and other structures, fin the form of an elongated parallel-sided plate, said plate consisting of thin resilient ysheet material having a web curved in cross-section at least over partY of its width, and having flanges Yalong its parallel sides, said flanges diverging at least over part of their width in the direction away from said web for fitting between and engaging a matingly shaped pair of surfaces provided en a supporting structure when said member is sprung into place between said surfaces of a supporting structure, said flanges having extensions directed toward the middle of the sheathing member and being adapted for engaging said supporting structure soV as to accurately determine the position of said web relative to said supporting structure.

7. An elongated trim sheathing plate for railway cars and other structures, having a resilient web with parallel margins and angle-section flanges along said margins, said flanges being formed for engagement with matingly shaped nodes on a supporting structure, and the resiliency of said web being such as to permit, by transversely bending it, the spring of said plate into position between successive nodes.

8. In a railway car or similar vehicle body of the type comprising: a plurality of longitudinally spaced structural members extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of said body;

a longitudinally 'extending shear panel struc- 2o turally interconnecting said members; a plurality of nodes provided on said panel and projecting beyond the outer surface thereof; said nodes being of channel section with a bottom wall and side Walls, said nodes extending longitudinally and being arranged parallel to and with spacing between each other; the combination with the features of adjacent nodes having their side walls which face each other arranged in planes diverging from the outside toward the inside; trim members fitting between said nodes, said members each having a resilient web and marginal flanges diverging in the direction away from the web, said flanges engagdng said side walls for the retention of the members by said side walls, and the edges of said flanges being directed toward the middle of the respective member for engage- 'ment with the portion of the shear panel adj oining said side walls thereby holding said webs at the desired distance from said panel.

MICHAEL WATTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 383,759 Orr et al May 29, 1888 716,061 Landkrohn Dec. 16, 1902 870,382 Perry Nov. 5, 1907 973,622 Budd Oct. 25, 1910 2,082,241 Bennett June 1, 1937 2,190,334 Nystrom Feb. 13, 1940 2,268,188 Clarke Dec. 30, 1941 2,476,451 Murphy et al July 19, 1949 

